Metal nitride powders are used for high strength and heat resistant applications, such as in lubricants, engine parts and cutting tools. Ceramic materials with suitable consistency, reliability and economy of manufacture, such as hot pressed or sintered metal nitrides, are being developed for use in adiabatic diesel and turbine engines while operating temperatures of 1,000.degree. C. may be experienced. In this development better metal nitride powders are being sought that are suitable for hot pressing or sintering.
In general, prior art methods for producing metal nitride materials have been by way of a solid-gas phase reactions, as in the manufacture of silicon nitride (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 ) by combining nitrogen (N.sub.2) gas or ammonia (NH.sub.3) gas at high temperatures with silicon tetrachloride (SiCl.sub.4) solid. However, this process is very expensive and the reactant SiCl.sub.4 is difficult to make. Therefore, there is a need for a method of producing metal nitrides that will require less rigorous conditions and less expensive starting materials, resulting in a powder that can be sintered or hot pressed.